| US 7,392,795 B2 | ||
| Internal combustion engine and combustion control method | ||
| Morihiro Nagamine, Yokosuka (Japan); Akihiko Kakuho, Yokohama (Japan); Taisuke Shiraishi, Yokohama (Japan); and Eiji Takahashi, Yokosuka (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Yokohama (Japan) | ||
| Filed on May 16, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/749,323. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2006-137483 (JP), filed on May 17, 2006. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0266979 A1, Nov. 22, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. F02P 19/00 (2006.01); F02B 11/00 (2006.01); F02M 27/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 123—536 [123/48 R; 123/78 R; 123/90.15; 123/143 B; 123/430] | 31 Claims |
| 1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
a combustion chamber in which a mixture of fuel and air is caused to undergo compression self ignition;
an electric discharge unit provided inside the combustion chamber to generate an electric discharge for conducting combustion
inside the combustion chamber; and
a controller device configured to control a voltage applied to the electric discharge unit, the controller being configured
to control the electric discharge unit such that a non-thermal plasma can be formed without incurring a transition to arc
discharging, and to control the quantity and distribution of an activated air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber in
accordance with an operating condition of the internal combustion engine.
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